Unbeatens meet in Parx Juvenile; Futurity draws field of 12
RACE REPLAY IS NOT AVAILABLE
Unbeaten colts Recruiter and Winning Time head a promising cast in the Parx Juvenile, one of two $75,000 stakes for 2-year-olds at seven furlongs on Tuesday at Parx Racing. The other, the Parx Futurity, is restricted to fillies.
Recruiter is 3 for 3 and has been made the 3-1 morning line choice in the Juvenile. A gate-to-wire winner in his first two races for trainer Cal Lynch, Recruiter rated just off the early pace in the James F. Lewis III at Laurel Park on Nov. 12. When given his cue, Recruiter willingly bounded to the lead, and stayed there. He received a career-best 84 Beyer.
“He’s very talented,” assistant trainer Anthony Lynch told Daily Racing Form from the Lewis winner’s circle. “The day he walked into the barn, he stood out among all of our 2-year-olds.”
Recruiter drew well in post 7 and should be close to the pace under jockey Mychel Sanchez.
Winning Time faces open company after beating Pennsylvania-breds in his first two starts. A son of Winchill, Winning Time demolished a field that included two next-out winners when taking his debut by 11 lengths on Nov. 7. He then gamely overcame race-long pace pressure to take the Pennsylvania Nursery 22 days later.
“He seems like he has a brain about rating,” trainer Kate DeMasi said. “When he was next to that other horse” – pacesetter All Eyes On You – “you didn’t need to take a big hold of him and choke him down. He was kind and showed a lot of determination.”
DeMasi isn’t overly concerned about the colt’s rail post. Winning Time should be among the pacesetters, if not the outright speed of the race.
Daydreaming Boy, a son of Goldencents trained by Lou Linder Jr., won his maiden second out by 7 1/2 lengths at Parx maiden over muddy going on Nov. 1.
The beaten favorite in Parx’s Future Stars on Dec. 5, Daydreaming Boy stumbled at the start before finishing 3 1/2 lengths behind undefeated Howgreatisnate.
“We wanted to be off the pace,” Linder said. “But Mychel [jockey Sanchez] said when he stumbled and picked himself up, he had the bit and dragged him up there. I think that took a little away from his finish.”
Linder said Tuesday’s plan is “to stay off the speed because there’s plenty of it.” Dexter Haddock picks up the mount.
Ninetyprcentmaddie had his three-race unbeaten streak snapped by Winning Time in the Nursery. He drew post 9 for the rematch with Paco Lopez aboard.
“For whatever reason, he wasn’t quite himself,” said trainer Butch Reid, who also mentioned that Ninetyprcentmaddie might not have liked racing inside. “He came back and breezed sensationally.”
Trainer Mark Salvaggio said Thursday that We Don’t Need Roads would instead race in Monday’s Heft at Laurel, but that card was postponed to next Friday due to expected inclement weather.
A game winner of a nonwinners-of-two allowance at Delaware Park on Nov. 4, We Don’t Need Roads was purchased for $100,000 at Timonium earlier this month.
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Salvaggio admitted that seven furlongs might be short for We Don’t Need Roads, who made all four prior starts in route races for trainer Anthony Pecoraro.
El de Chimi moves back to dirt after racing in two stakes on turf. Byk steps up in class after an impressive debut win at Penn National. John Dutton, Hot Love, and Chasing Stardom complete the field.
Parx Futurity
Girl Trouble seeks her third consecutive victory in the Parx Futurity. A New Jersey-bred daughter of Fast Anna trained by Reid, Girl Trouble won her last two starts at Parx by a combined 14 lengths.
She became a stakes winner with a six-length triumph in the Future Stars Filly on Nov. 29 and will break from the far outside post in the 12-horse field.
“It’s an opportunity to put her in a stalking position, maybe sitting third or fourth on the outside,” Reid said.
Interpolate, a $300,000 daughter of Into Mischief, ships down from New York for trainer Chad Brown following a second-out maiden win on Oct. 14 during the Belmont at the Big A meet. She was one of four next-out winners to emerge from her debut – the sixth race at Saratoga on Aug. 14 – including race winner Chocolate Gelato, who won the Grade 1 Frizette in her subsequent start.
Alexis’s Storm finished second in the Astoria at Belmont Park on June 9, then received a break by design according to trainer Chuck Lawrence. She returned to the races with a solid second-place effort in a first-level allowance at Laurel on Nov. 14.
“We were elated to run that well first time back against a quality field,” Lawrence said. “We have high expectations.”
Reid also trains Mendelian, a slightly built filly that had a very tough trip in the Future Stars Filly. Gold Medal Anna, Bella Michelle, Empress Ariana, My Sweet Khaile, Shiny Slam, Lindalovesgold, Blome, and Majestic Creed also are entered.
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